Jewelry and precious gems with a clear conscience | DW Documentary
Guilt-free precious gems — when it comes to jewelry, more and more people are checking the sustainability credentials. Environmentally friendly pearl cultivation and synthetic lab diamonds are helping make this possible — and minimizing harm to humans and the natural world.
For a long time, no one gave any thought to the ecological impact of jewelry. The river pearls used to adorn crowns were often taken from huge mussel beds in German rivers and streams. The species is now endangered and nature conservationist Wolfgang Degelmann is working to save it. "The mussel can look back on a 230-million-year history, when the conditions for it to thrive were just right. Then humans come along and after 100 years, that 230-million-year history was trampled underfoot." Degelmann runs a mussel breeding program with the aim of reintroducing the creature to its natural habitat.
In the Fiji Islands off the coast of Savusavu, Justin Hunter runs a sustainable pearl farm in a bid to save the black-lip pearl oyster from extinction. He’s imposed strict environmental regulations here to create an intact underwater world, a prerequisite for naturally occurring pearls. For their part, the oysters also contribute to the marine ecosystem; each one filters several hundred liters of water every day. Hunter has in the meantime persuaded many locals in Savusavu to get involved in environmental protection — after all, most of the island’s inhabitants live from the fruits of the sea and from tourism in their South Pacific paradise.
In the Austrian Alps, twins Hannes and Gerhard Hofer hike through the mountains for days, venturing into unexplored caves to extract precious gems and crystals from the rock — in restricted quantities. Crystal collectors must adhere to strict environmental criteria.
Jewelry designer Helge Maren Hauptmann uses lab diamonds for her collection. "There’s no discernible difference, they’re genuine diamonds — just cultivated rather than naturally occurring," she says. The synthetic diamonds do leave a carbon footprint, but it’s smaller than the natural gems, which are often mined in Africa using child labor. Lab-grown diamonds are also cheaper. All things considered, perhaps it’s no surprise that demand is rising.
-
1:14:10
Talk Nerdy 2 Us
1 day agoHacks, Leaks & Big Tech Control: Is Your Data Under Siege by Shadow Powers?
58.1K14 -
UPCOMING
I_Came_With_Fire_Podcast
13 hours agoFood Security & the American Beef Industry: AJ Richards on Supply Chain Risks & The SUSTAINSAct
36.1K2 -
4:41:10
Tundra Gaming Live
14 hours agoThe Worlds Worst Horror Streamer Has Heart Attack Playing Phasmophobia
74.6K8 -
1:38:24
JoBlo Originals
11 hours agoFriday Night Flicks!
71.3K14 -
5:09:20
Nerdrotic
16 hours agoAgatha All Along Geyest Show EVER! Rings of Power Girl POWER! - Friday Night Tights #320 Jonny Law
136K46 -
1:18:43
Edge of Wonder
13 hours agoPager Explosions: How Technology Can Be Used Against Us
77K23 -
8:19:47
Akademiks
18 hours agoDiddy Arrest Footage LEAKED! Police Say He's ON S*ICIDE watch after Being Locked up in MDC BROOKLYN
208K113 -
11:44:20
Total Horse Channel
23 hours ago2024 WDAA World Championship Show | Friday | Arena One
76K1 -
4:16
The Worlds Funniest Animals
13 hours agoAnimals Gone Wild Compilation
62.3K19 -
2:22:56
WeAreChange
16 hours agoDiddy Will Get EPSTEINED?! The Power Brokers Are LOSING IT
107K59